Disclaimer: Everything belongs to their respective owners unless you don't recognize it, then it's mine.
Don't You Just Love Rain?
"Shot down . . . said you never had the chance
Took a ride on a suicide romance
Could have sworn there was somebody home
To facilitate the great unknown
Woman, I ain't going to meet you anywhere
Don't know where I'm going yet . . .
But I sure am getting there
Shotgun fire . . . anybody home
I got two dimes in the telephone
Alright . . . It's not easy tonight " – Easy Tonight by Five for Fighting.
*****
She ducked her head to keep the rain from getting her in eyes as she ran blindly towards some form of shelter. With a laugh, she opened the door of a phone booth and closed it once she was in. Only then did she realize that it was already occupied. "Oh . . . sorry." He just looked at her like she had two heads, which only cause her to laugh harder. However, a crash of thunder made her squeak and jump. After all these years, she thought, you'd think I would have gotten used to thunder by now. "D'you mind if I share the booth with you?"
"Uh . . ." he just continued to stutter as she examined him with her bright blue eyes. He wasn't bad looking; she'd give him that. His hair falling into his eyes just so made him look adorably innocent . . . but his harsh eyes gave him away. His clothes stuck to his toned body, as she was sure hers did, because of the rain that he had attracted before ducking into the phone booth.
"Guess I wasn't the only one trying to get away from the rain," she mused aloud.
"Yeah," he seemed to have finally gathered his senses. Her eyes were unnerving. They seemed to know just what he was thinking – or so it seemed. She couldn't be more than nineteen, he figured, though she had the looks of a sixteen-year-old. Her long hair was plastered to her head, and she was currently brushing away her bangs from her innocent eyes.
"Don't you just love rain?" she asked with a grin that meant her question was sarcastic.
And he knew it was, but answered truthfully. "Yeah . . . it always calms me."
"But –" She jumped again when the thunder rolled loudly above them. "What about the thunder?"
He looked like he might laugh at her antics. "That's one of the best parts. Don't you think?"
"I think it's frightening!" she exclaimed louder than she meant to, as she promptly turned red. "Sorry . . . I overreact sometimes. I didn't mean –"
He cut her off. "It's okay. I know what you mean. When I was really little I was scared of it." He had a far off look in his eyes for a moment before coming back. "But nothing scares me anymore."
"What do you mean?" she got comfortable by leaning against the glass, listening to the loud patter of rain.
"Exactly what I said," he replied. "I haven't had anything to be scared of since I was five. Except one thing."
"That has to suck." She didn't want to ask about the "one thing."
His face contorted to confusion. "Why would that suck?" Why was he talking to a stranger? The thought had just finally occurred to him.
"Because then nothing is fun in life! Nothing is exciting if there is at least the tiniest part of you that isn't scared. You have to be scared of something!" she replied with a passion he didn't think was possible in a person.
He shrugged even though he knew the one thing that did scare him.
She smiled at him, then grabbed his hand. "Come on."
He stared at her as she opened the door of the phone booth, "what?"
"Come on!" she proceeded to drag him out of the booth with a big, mischievous smile on her face. They were soaked by the time they reached the other side of the street.
"Where are you dragging me?" he shouted over the rain.
She turned back to him and gave him a wink. "You'll see in a few minutes! Now hurry up!" she called back as she broke into a run.
When they came to a stop, it was at the artificial lake in the Juuban District Park. Little waves were forming from the torrential winds.
"What are we doing here?" he asked.
She gave his hand a squeeze before she let go to climb up the nearest tree. "Take a chance!" he looked at her, thoroughly confused, as she kept climbing until she found herself high enough. She held onto the branch above her as she walked on the other out over the water.
"What are you doing?" he finally figured out why she brought him here. And it worried him.
"Geronimo!" she screamed as she took a dive into the water. He stared where she had landed, waiting for her to surface. Ten seconds . . . twenty . . . forty . . . he started looking around.
"Where are you?" he yelled over the storm.
"Scared?" a voice asked from behind him.
He turned around quickly, making his hair whip into his eyes. "Jesus Christ! What were you thinking?"
"I scared you, didn't I?" she asked, looking completely innocent.
"To be frank, yes! Not many people will dive from a tree into water like that!" he replied.
She smiled and lifted a hand to brush the hair from his eyes, but years of training caused his hand to shoot up and catch her wrist before it got to his face. Her eyes held shock, but her face told him nothing. He let go of her wrist and she proceeded to brush the hair from his eyes.
"Not used to people touching you, are you?" she asked, knowledge shining in her eyes.
He shook his head.
She smiled again. And for some reason, he didn't want to see her face any other way.
"Come on," he said as he took her hand.
"Where to?" she asked, it was her turn to be confused.
"Just come," he said as he led her through many streets until they were at the pier. By the time they had arrived, the rain had stopped.
"The pier?" she asked.
He nodded before grabbing something from a box on the side of the pier. He hid it in front of his body until he had it lit. Then he turned and ran back from it with her. "Watch."
She did as he commanded, and looked at the cylinder that she soon recognized as a firework. She watched as it flew up into the air, then exploded into an array of colors. "Wow . . . How'd you know that was in there?"
"I put it there a long time ago."
She laughed at the boy who didn't know what to make of human touch. "I wouldn't have taken you for a fan of fireworks."
"Life holds many surprises."
She nodded in agreement.
She had locked that whole day into her memory, every little detail down to the last words they said to each other.
They sat on the beach, a blanket around their shoulders to keep them warm.
"What's your favorite moment in all of history?" she asked, still smiling.
He thought it over for a moment; "I'd have to say this whole day."
She grinned and gave him a chaste kiss on his cheek. "I think I'll agree with you."
He looked surprised at her kiss. He still couldn't get used to her being as close to him as she was at the present moment. He glanced down at her thoughtful face and suddenly wanted to know what she was thinking about that could make her face scrunch up like that. He voiced his thoughts. "What are you think about?"
"I was just wondering about what my friends will say when I get home. I can see them now." She pitched her voice up, "What are you doing home so late! We were worried!" with a laugh, she put on an angry voice. "Don't you ever do that again! Do you know how much you scared us!" then a calm voice. "Guys, don't yell at her. I'm sure she just got caught up in the storm and had to finish her errands after it," and finally an amused voice: "What'd you do? Meet a guy in the rainstorm?"
"Your friends sound like they really care about you," he commented.
"They do – unconditionally. But sometimes . . . I just wish they understood me! I'm so much more different from them. They all know exactly what they are going to do."
He unconsciously pulled her closer. "Who says that you have to know what you're going to do?"
She suppressed a shiver as his breath tickled her ear. "My friends. Destiny. Life in general."
"I don't believe that destiny has control of our lives. I think we do. It's the choices we make that cause Destiny to make her decisions, isn't it?" he asked her.
She smiled up at him. "Yeah . . . it is."
She looked out her bedroom window at the rain. Every time it rained, she was reminded of him and how he had changed her outlook on life. She wished with all her heart that she could tell him so. But she couldn't . . . he was gone.
When the sky was black, she sighed. "I had better get home before they call the police."
"Let them," he surprised even himself by saying this.
"I wish I could, but they would be too worried. I can't do that to them." She stood up, the blanket falling from her shoulders.
He stood up, towering over her by a foot and a half. "I'll walk you back, then."
She gave him a small smile. "Thanks." She took up his hand again as he walked with her. They kept silent; there wasn't anything to say really. Small talk would be annoying. It took them a good thirty minuets to get to her house. "Thank you, again, for walking me home."
"It was my pleasure, trust me."
"Will I see you tomorrow?" she asked, still holding onto his hand as if it kept her on the ground.
He shook his head in a no fashion. "I have to leave for the colonies in," he looked at his watch, "two hours."
"Do you have to pack?" she had an idea.
"No. Why?" he asked.
She grinned before taking him to a childrens playground around the corner. "Swing with me, then." She plopped herself down on a swing and pushed with her feet until she felt him push her from behind. She giggled with glee like she was a child again.
"For someone so grown up, you sure like the swings," he told her as he listened to her childlike laughs.
"The swings make me feel like a kid again!" she said as she jumped at the swings' apex to the ground. She fell to her butt when she landed, causing more laughs from her as he rushed over to see if she was alright.
"Are you okay?" he asked as he helped her to her feet.
"Just fine! It's not like I haven't done that before." She was happy her was concerned for her.
He looked at his watch. The cheerful look in his face and eyes diminished greatly. "I have to go. I have a half hour to get to the airport."
She looked down at the ground before looking into his eyes again. "I guess I'll see you when I see you then?"
He nodded, not knowing if he'd ever see her again. He never knew if he'd live to see the next day. He found himself thinking that she was worth it to make sure he did live to see another day.
"Good-bye," she said sorrowfully.
"What's wrong?" he put a finger under her chin to raise her head up so her could look into her eyes.
"It sucks that just when I meet someone who understands me, they have to go away."
He nodded in understanding. "If I had a choice . . . I'd stay."
"I know. But you don't have that luxury," she replied.
It still got him how she understood him so well. It was strange.
She turned back to her writing paper. Dwelling in the past was something she found herself doing a lot lately. Maybe it was because tomorrow would be the sixth month anniversary of their meeting . . .
"Will you come see me if you come back?" she asked quietly.
"I promise that I will."
"Don't promise something you don't know will come true . . ."
He looked hard into her eyes. "I never promise unless I know I can hold true to it."
She smiled again, her eyes lighting up. "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you, too. But I'll never forget what you taught me today."
She furrowed her brow, but before she could get her question out, his lips had claimed hers. At first she was too surprised to know what to do, but then she soon found her eyes closing and her lips moving against his.
And they sealed the promise with a kiss; she finished her writing with that last sentence. How was it going to end, she didn't know yet. It seemed like her mind quit working at that point. Like it was waiting for him to come back and be her muse. He was what got her writing in the first place. A publisher said he wanted to publish it in his magazine, but he didn't know that it was a true story.
It took six months for the story to be published, but she was just happy that it did.
He walked into the room, and looked at the article his friend was reading. "What the hell are you reading a romance story for?" his voice, usually bare of emotion, asked with laced confusion.
"I dunno. I just thought it sounded good. This author just kinda left me hangin' though," the American boy replied.
"Hn?"
"Well, she just ends it with 'and they sealed the promise with a kiss' and BOOM! it ends."
He held out his hand to see the magazine. He flipped back a page, his eyes widening as he read. By the time he was at the end, he had stood up quickly and tossed the magazine back to his friend (as he finally decided to call them).
"Hey! Where are you going?" the American asked in surprise. His only answer was a door slamming the engine of his friends' crotch rocket starting and racing off.
"Where was he going in such a hurry?" a third boy asked.
The American shrugged. "I dunno. He read the last page of my magazine and then ran off. It was weird . . ."
The boy glanced at the Americans book. "You both read a romance story?"
"Oh shut up. I like reading things that are published in this magazine, this man knows his stuff! Even if it is romance!"
She secured her very messy bun with her pencil before she left the building. She was usually the last to leave work, so they just let her lock up. When she had finished locking the doors, she looked up at the sky. Looked like it was going to rain. Just like it had a year ago to the day.
Shaking her head, she buttoned up her coat and walked down the street. It didn't do her any good to dwell in the past. Her friends were getting at her for not having a decent date in almost two years! She snorted at how pathetic that made her sound. No dates in two years? Jeesh, I need to get out more . . . and just to add to her darkening mood, thunder rang out. She shrieked in fright and surprise as the rain starting pouring down. Why does this always happen to me?
Just like a year ago, she looked around for shelter. The old phone booth, she knew, was around the corner. She could hide in there. No one used it anymore, the phone had been out of order for three months but the city men hadn't been around to fix it yet. So with that thought, she ran for the phone booth and shut herself inside.
And almost let out a bloodcurdling scream as she turned to face the other occupant of the out of order phone booth. But her scream quickly turned into a shocked silence.
"I always keep my promises."
That seemed to snap her from her stupor. "I was beginning to think I'd never see you again." Her eyebrows scrunched together as she looked up at him with confusion. "What are you doing in an out of order phone booth anyway?"
"Same thing you are."
"Trying to figure out why the only person who ever understood me is in a phone booth that doesn't work?" she said smartly.
He poked her sides, making her let out a giggle. "No. I'm getting away from the rain."
"Why'd you come back?"
"Your story in that magazine," he replied plainly.
She covered up a snort of laugher with a fake cough. "Why were you reading a romance story?"
"I wasn't. My friend was."
"Ah. I see."
Why did she sound disappointed? Then it donned on him. "My friend, Duo, likes to read the magazines stories – no matter the genre."
She looked a little relieved. "Strange friend you got there."
He nodded. "Yeah. But it's nice to have a friend at all."
"I know what you mean."
"You know what I hate?" he finally asked.
"No . . . What?"
"Unnecessary small talk," he replied before taking her breath away once again with a kiss.
She finally pulled away from him when she needed oxygen. Then thought of something. "You know what I hate?"
He smiled, for the first time in his life. "No. What?"
She grinned, "not knowing your name!"
He starred at her. "That's right . . . we never did exchange names."
"Except you know mine now," she pointed out.
"That's right, Tsukino Usagi, I do. Great ending to your story, by the way," he said with a smile.
"Oh be quiet. It's your fault I couldn't finish it . . . whoever you are."
He took the hint. "Yui Hiiro, would be my name."
She blinked once. Twice. Thrice. "You're a Gundam pilot . . ."
He let go of her and moved away as far as the booth would allow. "Is that bad?"
She was surprised to hear the scared tone in his voice. "Hiiro . . . what's the one thing that scares you?"
"Why?"
"Curiosity."
"It killed the cat."
"Do I look like a feline?" she countered.
He shook his head before answering: "people fearing me because I'm a Gundam pilot."
She nodded. "Then why did you ask 'is that bad?' in such a scared voice to me?"
"I'd hate myself if I were the one to cause you to loose some of your innocent outlook on the world."
She put a hand to his cheek. "Oh, Hiiro . . . You already changed my outlook on life. You showed me how to be me. Anything I wanted to be. I would never hate you or fear you because you're a Gundam pilot. If anything, I love you more for fighting for such a cause."
"You love me?"
She blushed. "Well, when you've had a year to brood over some mystery guy, it kind of happens."
He leaned down to her ear. "Good. Because I love you," he whispered.
~~
Author's Note: A short and sweet Hiiro/Usa story! I got the inspiration to write it when I was watching the video for Easy Tonight by Five for Fighting. Great song, download it if you can! I stayed up writing this for an hour, so I hope everyone likes it. I won't do another chapter 'cause I don't think I could top this one, so please don't ask. :) Night! I should go to bed; it's two-thirty in the morning . . .